Sound Trek

by Robert Black

In the beginning, a long, long time ago,
The Script Federation called for a mechanism:
“To patrol the stratosphere and do Search & Rescue.”
So the designers took a B-17, all polished aluminium,
Added a large v-tail, two long-range wingtip fuel tanks,
And on a forward leaning column above the pilot’s cabin
A small saucer-shaped flight deck and living quarters.

Our story begins with a mystery and a stopwatch:
“One day a snowman materializes on the flight deck”
(It may sound implausible, but then so is the acting,
but as long as the soundtrack’s as good as the original
it should boldly go on, long into the future.)